When I do solo bokken exercises I do them both right and left handed, otherwise what's the point in saying it informs your empty handed work? Much of what we do in aikido with a bokken is explicitly not what you'd do with a sword if you wanted to cut someone and not get cut, that's one reason why a lot of aikidoka look outside aikido for their weapons training (TSKSR and KSR derivitives are popular).
I've heard from some sword users that the mounting on the Japanese style blade is done with a right handed cut in mind. Also the two handed grip and more square on style gives less of an advantage to being left handed than single handed styles like Olympic fencing.

I haven't met these Persian guys and don't know what they're like. I'm sure that they enjoy what they do but I'm not sure what it's ment to be.
Is it self defence (intelligent self defence samurai is their organisation)? There's more sensible options for that.
Is it pure gymnastics and exhibition? I'd go XMA or gymnastics instead and not dress it up like something Japanese.
Is it TMA? I'd go straight to the source.
Is it role playing? I tried that and didn't like it (although I still practise aikido!).
Is it physical conditioning (they look to be in good shape)? That's fine but why dress it up as something else.

I'll ask the guys who were at the seminar but I doubt I'll be going over to any foreign training courses run by theat umbrella organisation if this is the type of instructor they bring in.

@Ignorami
It was eye opening, and a very crowded mat. I got to take ukemi once or twice and I was impressed.
There was one break where he pointed out a specific mistake a lot of use were making (bringing the bokken back too far in men uchi). I then continued to make the same mistake, until he came over to me and asked me if I'd been listening *facepalm*.

edit: here's a link to piece with more reasons why the left handed carry isn't popular: http://www.aikiweb.com/weapons/rock4.html
I can testify to point to about it catching on the clothing, even with a tsuba-less bokken.

Last edited by realjanuary; 6/29/2011 6:10am at .
Reason: include more reasons for right handed carry

Obvious solution would be to create a Linkenkommando (aka. Operation Get Behind The Lefties).

I'm curious now. Do left-handed soldiers in the present day (say in the US military, for the sake of argument) generally get issued with left-handed rifles?

Not in the US(unless for some reason they decided to regress). When I got out in '96, the M16A2 had a brass deflector so the spent casings wouldn't hit you in the face if you were left handed. Last I remember in the British Military, all the troops had to shoot right handed, as their bullpup rifle wasn't designed to be used by lefty's

The only thing I've seen worn on the right side of the obi is a tessen. I can ask my sensei next time I see him. As to the left handed samurai, , they may have been left handed swordsmen, but they still would have worn the daisho on the left due to that being culturally acceptable. As a lefty myself, the strange this is that I naturally hold the long sword conventionally, but I want to hold the short sword in my left hand.